Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
RFC 1034 - 3.7.2. Inverse queries (Optional)

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### 3.7.2. Inverse queries (Optional)

Name servers may also support inverse queries that map a particular resource to a domain name or domain names that have that resource. For example, while a standard query might map a domain name to a SOA RR, the corresponding inverse query might map the SOA RR back to the domain name.

Implementation of this service is optional in a name server, but all name servers must at least be able to understand an inverse query message and return a not-implemented error response.

The domain system cannot guarantee the completeness or uniqueness of inverse queries because the domain system is organized by domain name rather than by host address or any other resource type. Inverse queries are primarily useful for debugging and database maintenance activities.

Inverse queries may not return the proper TTL, and do not indicate cases where the identified RR is one of a set (for example, one address for a host having multiple addresses). Therefore, the RRs returned in inverse queries should never be cached.

Inverse queries are NOT an acceptable method for mapping host addresses to host names; use the IN-ADDR.ARPA domain instead.

A detailed discussion of inverse queries is contained in [RFC-1035].

Next: 3.8. Status queries (Experimental)

Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
RFC 1034 - 3.7.2. Inverse queries (Optional)